Promising Risks
by Forgetfull77
Summary: My ending to Fragile Eternity. Short and sweet ending where the number of possibilities Seth sees between him and Aislinn decrease immensely. OOC


Promising Risks

Kennan sighed heavily as he pushed himself up from his spot in Donia's foyer and wandered towards the exit of the world he would probably never step foot in again. Donia's world.

He knew he had messed up bad. He had hurt the two people he cared about most. Aislinn: his queen and political partner who he would die for, and Donia: his winter girl who he loved boundlessly, but would leave if Aislinn and his court needed him to. He knew his feelings didn't make any sense. He hated that they didn't. It pushed him to work only with the cards he had been dealt, and didn't allow him to draw any others. As much as he wanted to not want Aislinn, and as much as he wanted to be with Donia, he couldn't do anything about any of it. If it would make life easier, Keenan would simply settle for one and not look back. But that would mean choosing between his love and his court, and he knew he would probably choose his court in the end. _Leaving Donia for good would not make any of this easier._

Soon, Keenan had reached the summer court. As soon as he did, however, he felt hot. Not his usual bursts of fiery passion and comfortable warmth, but like he needed a nice breeze to cool him down a little bit. He passed the dancing summer girls in the garden a little too fast for their liking and entered the loft, trying his hardest to ignore the pity he could feel from his advisors he went into his bedroom.

The feeling of uncomfortable heat was still with him and he pulled his sweatshirt up over his head to cool down a bit, even though he knew it wouldn't help. This unwelcome feeling was inside of him, and became even stronger as he collapsed onto his own bed. This room had always been a form of escape from court troubles for Keenan. His home in his home. Now he felt like he didn't even belong. His own sunlight was practically suffocating him, his body begging for some way to cool down. Beads of sweat were dripping down his body, making him feel sticky and even more uncomfortable in his own skin.

Keenan's vision was blotchy and fading in and out. Spots were turning black and fuzzy as he reached the bathroom and splashed ice cold water on his face. The feeling of about to faint faded away as the icy water splashed over his eyes, cheeks, nose and mouth, slowly dripping down his neck. Instead of drying his icy and soaked hair, he ignored the impulse to grab a not usually nauseating bright yellow towel and let his dripping, dull golden locks stay plastered to his neck and forehead. Still clutching the fancily carved sink for balance, he took a deep breath. This wasn't like the sigh he had uttered earlier before leaving Donia's. That was regret, sorrow. This was meant to calm himself down. To allow himself to evaluate what the hell had just happened, because he certainly had no clue! Keenan knew only one thing. As he stepped back into his bedroom, a strong, cold breeze pushed itself through the open window, and as it ran over him, instead of feeling a yearning for the sun as he normally would have, he felt a second of comfort in the room that he knew no longer needed him.

…..

As Seth walked away from the Dark Court, he felt truly happy. It was as if he was radiating warmth with each step he took. He noticed a lot of faeries looking at him as he walked. Most of them seemed shocked to see him. _Because I'm one of _them_ now._

Without even realizing where he was going, his feet seemed to lead him along an invisible path, like one of the possibilities he couldn't see; the possibilities that concerned only him. This possibility lead him to the Summer Court's loft, and into Aislinn's room.

Pushing on the door lightly, he entered the sun drenched room, and he suddenly felt at home. _Like in faerie, with Sorcha. _"Aislinn?" he muttered as his eyes searched the bright room for her. She was on her bed. Her eyes glassy and her cheeks red and tear stained. She had been thinking. He could tell. There were fewer roads for her to take now. Almost all were invisible to him. As she sat up from her crouching position on the cream colored sheets, their eyes met and all possibilities became only whispers of what could be, not the visible images he had no part in. _I have her. Not him. Me._

Taking the few short strides it took to reach Aislinn's four-poster, he smiled to himself and more sunlight poured out of him. "I love you" he whispered, taking summer in his arms and kissing her. When their lips met, sunlight passed from Aislinn's body to Seth's and he felt her warmth reach the tips of his fingers, like hot chocolate on a cold winter day.

Aislinn, astonished by their bodies' reactions, pulled back and took a breath, not letting go of Seth. Then, barely seconds later and without warning, she pulled him to her again and wrapped her arms around his neck so she could tangle her sun drenched fingers into his hair. Seth, just as astonished, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him, even though he knew they could not get any closer. As they fell onto her bed, the contact of her skin to his made his veins pulse with sunlight.

Thoughts were clicking together in Aislinn's head as Seth pulled her towards him as best his new faerie strength allowed him. As each fragment connected and made more sense to the Summer Queen, she smiled and grew brighter, letting more sunlight pulse through her body than she ever had since becoming a faerie queen. Lowering her lips to his ear, she whispered, "Love you too, my King."


End file.
